Knitting machine



M. c. MILLER 1,830,069

I KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 192 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 3, 1931.

0 l E II IK Patented Nov. 3, 1931 PATENT OFFICE MAX C. MILLER, F CUMBERLAND, RHODE ISLAND KNITTING MACHINE 1 Application filed August 9,

This invention relates to knitting machinery, more particularly to flat or straight machines, the shown construction being applicable specifically to flat machines using sink- 5 ers. 1

In knitting machines using sinkers it is necessary that said sinkers successively sink yarn around the shanks of the needles, each sinker sinking in advance of its following H sinker, each sinker finishing its stroke toward the needles before its following sinker comes in contact with the feeding yarn.

In fine gauge fiat machines it has not been possible to get suflicient lead between sinkers 51 without resorting to what are known as dividing sinkers. The dividing sinkers are the sinkers that alternate with the jack sinkers in a full fashioned machine. In machines of this type only alternate sinkers are operated successively, thereby coarsening the gauge of such sinkers and making it possible to give a sufiicient lead between sinkers. These sinkers are known as jack sinkers and are usually operated by jacks which are operated by a slur-cock operating in such a manner upon the jacks as to multiply the forward movement of the sinker in relation to the slurcock throw. These jack sinkers sink enough yarn to later form two loops, the dividing sinkers operating enmasse robbing their yarn from the jack sinkers. I

This construction has many drawbacks. Among them being the loss of time c gendered through the use of dividin si' ers, the harsh slur-cock cam angle wit the objectionable side thrust given'the jacks, the Wear of the slur-cock, the difliculties encountered in frictioning the jack sinkers suificiently and yet not too much to permit the divid ing sinkers to rob yarn from them and yet do so evenly, and the difficulty in getting an even loop length between the jack and dividing sinkers.

This new invention contemplates making all sinkers jack sinkers, that is operating each 7 sinker with a jack but having the operating means work on the' jack at the point of its contact with the sinker and not multiplying the jack movement as in the case of the slurcock construction, this latter tending to over- 1926. Serial No. 128,060.

throw the jacks in the present full fashioned construction. It will readily be seen that all the objections raised against the dividin sinker construction are in this contemplate construction eliminated.

I am aware that some of the earlier hand knitting frames caused their sinkers to'b'e moved without the use of a slur-cock or dividing sinker. These frames were known as VValzen-Stiihle in Germany and drum or roll frames in England. This roll in these early frames was operated to rotate first in one direction for one stroke and then in the other direction for the next stroke reciprocating in this manner through the use of sheave wheels, pulleys, ropes, pedals and like devices, the pedals being operated by the feet of the operator..

While the basic idea of operating the sinkers successively through the use of a cam drum or roll is therefore not new, the construction as then used would not be at all ada table for present day fine gauged power mac hines. Its construction and use was essentially for a hand machine. The outstanding difference in the present construction being first that the roll or drum is continually rotatin and second that means are provided for ma 'ng possible manual, automatlc, as a whole or .in groups, stitch ad ustments, and Y third that the design is capable of bein power driven and if found desirable at big speeds.

The jacks are given theirmovement by a large drum or roll placedin the back of the 86 machine. This roll being composed of a series of two types of discs, one disc be ngv fitted with cam surfaces and the other type of disc being aplain circular membershghtly larger in dlameter than the cam discs and 90 placed between each pair of discs for the purpose of at alltimes guiding the ack s1de--- ways in its operation by the cam discs. For each jack in the'machine there is a cam dlsc separated by a plain disc, the cams'on these 05 discs are so arranged that through continuous rotation of the cam disc or roll, the picks and through them the sinkers are caused to move toward the needle successivel Each disc being fitted with two cam sur aces, the 10( relation of these cam surfaces of each disc to the other cam surfaces of other'discs being such that they operate the jacks with their sinkers successively, the lead of each sinker to the other being first in one direction and then in the other, a complete revolution of the drum or roll causing the sinkers to operate twice, first in one direction of traverse of the yarn eye and then in the other direction of traverse,.suitable rest periods being formed on the cam discs for the purpose of permitting the web holders, needle and pressing mechanisms to function. Further rest periods are provided on the cam disc to permit the other timing devices to function at each end of the stroke.

This cam drum or roll rotates continuously, if found desirable, and by preference, all other cams which operate other elements or parts of the machine being mounted on the same shaft that carries and drives this drum or .roll.

The invention is shown and described as applied to the machine described in applicants co-pending application, Serial N 0. 128,059, filed August 9, 1926. In this copending application is shown and described a flat knitting machine which automatically shapes a full fashioned stocking blank through widening. This widening mecha nism is in'the form of stepping needles, the needles on each edge of the fabric being stepped outwardly with the loops in the hooks and in the space so formed empty needle or needles being added as noted in this co-pending application. y

en bare needles are so added as above noted, a hole results unless the sinkers on either side of the newly added needle are for at least one stroke idle, as noted in the copending application, that is, that these sinkers do not kink yarn in the stroke in which the needle or needles are added. To this end this present invent-ion shows and describes means applicabl e this new sinker operating means for ca" sing the sinkers on either.

. side of the newly added needle to become ina-eiive.

This invention further discloses means for varying: he stroke of all the sinkers so that they will sink more or less yarn, also disclosing means for causing certain groups of sinkers to take more or less yarn than other groups of sinker; as is desirable when knit-- ting re-inforced potions of the stocking.

There are further described knock-over and hold-down means, disclosure being made of means for causing groups of these knockover and hold-down means to function or not to function as is necessary in knitting the stocking shown and described in the co-pending application referred to above.

There are further shown means for press;

ing the needle beards, further disclosures in these pressing means being mechanisms for selectively pressing or not pressing.

All these features are clearly shown in the two appended sheets of drawings in which Fig. l is an end elevation cross section of so much of the knitting machine disclosed in the co-pending application above referred to as is necessary to show the new features; Fig. 2 being a section of a sinker jack cam drum or roll; Fig. 3 being a partial side ele vation taken from the back of the machine along line (at-a) with the drum or roll removed; Fig. 4 being a diagrammatic View of the drum or roll, imagining the periphery of the roll flattened out to clearly show the lead of one cam disc over the other.

In the drawings 2 is the 'needle bed; 1 being the needles; 3 the presser pins; 4 the presser pin operating member; 5 the plate for holding these members in operating position; 6 the bar for holding these members in the needle bed 7 the swinging ack fastened to these members; 8 being the control slides for the jack; 9 being the operating plate for the jack; 10 being the front lower web holder bed; 11 the back lower sinker bed; 12 being the front upper sinker bed; 13 the back upper sinker bed; 14 being the inserted web holder and sinker walls; 15 the dividing plate between the sinkers and the web holders; 16 being the control bar for the long and short butt web holders; 17 being the web holder butt operating bar carried by the levers 18 swinging on the shaft 19, carried by the levers 20, operated by the link 21; 22 being the web holders; 23 the sinkers; 24 being the sinker jacks carried on their pins 25 in the levers 26, said levers being carried on the rod 27, held down by the springs 28 which hold the levers 26 against the round bar 29, the fiat bars 30 and 31 being carried in the bar 29, said bar being journaled in cccentric bushings 32, the rod 33 being used to return the inactive jacks toward the drum or roll; the sinkers being returned by the bar 34, the drum cam discs being numbered 35 with a separating disc 36, the discs being bolted to ether by the bolts 37 carried on the drum 38 astened and rotating with the shaft 39. Carried on the stepping needle'beds 40 is the stand 41 being fitted at its drum end with a groove slidingly carrying the slide 42 which is held in its low position by the projection 42a coming in contact with cover 43 being held in its low position by the pin 44 and the spring 45; the slider 42 being operated by the bar 46, carried by the levers 47 swinging on the pivot 48 and held in its lower position by the spring 49 stopping against the pin 50; the levers 47 are carried by the levers 51 held in position by the spring 52 and stopping butts 23a.

the link 56 and raised at times by the lever pivoting on pin 57 carried by the'stationary cover 58. The lever 55 is fitted with a roller 59 operated by the cam 60, said cam being carried on the bar 61 very similar to the construction shown-in the co-pending application.

In the appended drawings only so much is shown of a knitting machine as has been thought necessary to bring out these new features. v

The shaft 39 carrying the drum 38 with the discs 35 and 36 which are bolted together by the bolts 37 is a continuous running shaft. These discs through the cam surfaces formed on their edges operate successively the jacks 24 pivoting on the pins 25 which operate the sinkers 23 toward the needles, causing them to sink yarn. In order to vary the length of this stroke, the jacks 24 and the pins 25 are swingingly carr ed in the bifurcated punchin g levers 26 which are fulcrumly carried on the rod 27, said rod being rigidly mounted in the s de frames, springs '28 holding these levers 26 down against the round bar 29, this bar extending across the full width .of the machine carried in eccentr c bushings in the side frames. When it is found desirable to'cause the sinkers to take more yarn and therefore increase their stroke toward the needles, the eccentric bushings 32 are either manually or automatically rotated slightly, thereby permitting the springs 28 to lower the levers 26 with their pins 25 and their jacks 24 causing the'lower end of the jack to cause the sinkers 23 to come toward the needles a greater distance due to the angular construction of their As it is at times desirable to cause certain groups of sinkers to be projected a greater or lesser distance. the round bar 29 carries two fiat bars 30 and 31 projecting out of the round bar 29 a greater distance than the bar 30. This projection being of such length as to operate a group or groups of levers 26, said groups being composed of a specified number of levers 26,1'aising such levers 26 the required amount causing the lower end of the jack 24 connected with these levers 26 to operate sinkers coacting therewith a lesser distance than such levers as are acting on the bar 30.

While there are four springs 28 shown in Fig. 1, there is only one spring for each lexer 26, but as the springs would interfere with each other in a fine gauge machine. they are staggered, as shown, in order to withdraw the sinkers 23 and return the jacks 24 after they have been operated upon by the discs 35. The horizontally moveable bar 34 which ,is of sufficient length to be capable of operating upon all the sinkers is caused to move outwardly as shown in dot and dash lines Fig. 1. operating thereby upon the sinker butts23b to withdraw them from needle contact.

As it is at times, as pointed out in the foregoing, necessary to cause two sinkers to become inactive, that is, not to be projected, there is shown a stand 41 forming part of the stepping needle bedsv 40, which vertically slidingly carry the slide 42. This slide is bifurcated at its upper end as shown in Fig. 3, such upper ends being rounded to with certainty enter between the walls 14 as the slide is raised, at which time such jacks 24 as are in the spaces in which these ends operate are raised against the tension of the springs 28 high enough so that when the cam surface of their coacting discs 35 operate them, they are raised above the upper line of the sinker 23 and therefore will not operate their co-acting sinkers. 42 drops down through the action of the pin 44 and the spring 45 until its projectin and 42a strikes the cover 43. This falling down of the slide 42 cannot however permit the jacks co-acting therewith to fall down to their normal positions as they are riding with their lower ends on the upper surface of the back ends of the sinkers co-acting with them. For

.this reason the, machine is fitted with a rod 33 extending the full width of the machine which is at the time these jacks are to be returned to their normal position moved to its dot and dash position as shown in Fig. 1. This causes the abnormally located jacks to be drawn toward the low position of their coacting discs, the jacks 24 dropping down to their normal position as they reach the end of their strokes through the action of their (so-acting springs 28.

The raising oft-he slide 42 is made possible by the bar 46 being raised by the lever 55, said lever being caused to be raised by its roller'59 being acted upon by the cam which is caused to move endwise through the sliding action of the bar 61. This lever 55 is raised at each end of the stroke but does not raise the bar 46, unless said bar has been moved toward the lever 55 through the action of the link 56 pivoting the lever 51 on the rod 54. This link 56 is operated by any suitable type of pattern mechanism not shown, said pattern mechanism forming no part of this invention. At the time this link is operated, it places the bar 46 which is of such length as to at all times be capable of moving the slider 42, in whichever position it may be'to such position thatat the next lift of the lever 55 said bar 46' Wlll raise the slider 42.

holder bed 10 whi'h is rigidly carried by the side frames of the machine, said bed being slotted, carrying the walls 14 as in the co-pending application. The plate 15 being mounted on top of the web holders, the slnk Subsequently thereafter the slide.

ers 23 being mounted above this bar and carried at their back ends by the beds 11 and 13 and held down by the bed 12.

The web holders are fitted at their outer and lower ends with butts, these butts projecting into a groove formed in the bar 17, said bar being carried to move to and from the needles by the levers 18 at either end thereof, said levers fulcruming on the shaft 19, said shaft being carried by two levers 20 on either end of the machine. These levers being fulcrumed on fixed supports carried by the side frames. The bar 17 being moved by fulcruming with its levers 18 on the rod 19, this movement being given the bar 17 through a to and fro movement of the link 21. This movement being given this link by an well known type of drive mechanism, not erein shown, nor forming any part of this invention. The bar 17 as it is moved in and out operating the web holders to cause them to function to present their knock-over surfaces to the needles, to knock over, hold down the loops and to be entirely withdrawn.

As it is desirable to at times cause a group of these web holders to remain inactive, this group is fitted with short butts, such web holders not being opgrated at such times as the cam bar 16 through an endwise sliding movement permits the bar 19 with its levers 18 and the bar 17 to fall down causing the bar 17 to only operate the long butt Web holders. The endwise movement of the cam bar 16 is given by any well known type of mechanism not shown nor herein claimed and forming no part of this invention.

In the co-pending application above referred to all active needles are pressed against the pressing surfaces 21a presented to them by the walls 21. In this present construction, the needles 1 arecaused to be ressed through the action of the pins' 3 flexing the needles toward the surface 14a, very similar to the co-pending application, only in this application each needle is capable of being operated upon by its individual pin 3 which is carried in the needle bed 2. ,These pins are at times caused to fiex the needles by an upiward movement of the presser members 4, which are wire like members forming a cam surface at their upper bent ends. These ends beingheld against their co-acting pins 3 by the cover 5, the pressing members 4 being slidingly mounted in slots formed in the front side of the needle bed 2, being held in the bottom of their grooves by the bar 6. They are fitted at their lower ends with the jacks 7, the jacks being provided with butts which are capable of being withdrawn or projected outside the bed walls through the action of the control j ack- 8. When projected they are operated upon by the operating plate 9 which is continually reciprocating up and down through any well known type of operating mechanism, taking with it such butts as have been projected by the controls 8. These devices working in a somewhat similar manner to the needles as shown in the co-pending ap lication above. referred to.

11 operating the machine would function about as follows. The shaft 39 carrying the discs 35 and 36 is continually rotating the cam surfaces formed on their edges, the cams being stepped one ahead of the other as shown in Fig. 4, thereby successively operating the jacks 24, each one in advance of the other. The amount of this advance being suflicient to insure each sinker making its maximum stroke before its following sinker comes in yarn contact. After the sinkers are in action, which is at a line marked ((1) Figs. 1 and 4, the needles that are to knit which have been previously raised are drawn down to press and cast off their old loops in the regular manner. ,The plate 9 being raised at the proper time in this needle stroke to press such of the needles as are to form a regular loop, the web holders being drawn outwardly to present their knock-over surfaces to the descending needles at the proper time. All this having taken place while the discs moved past the jacks 24 between the lines (a) and (b) in Figs. 1 and 4 directly after line (b). The jacks 24 now being free to fall to the low part of their discs, do so through the action of the withdrawing of the sinkers 23 by the bar 34 to a position as shown in Fig. 1. After the needles have reached their knock-over position, the web holders are further withdrawn to a position as shown in Fig. 1 to permit those needles that are to step outwardly to find their new register. After which the web holders are moved inwardly toward the needles forming the old fabric toward the back of the needles to permit the needles to rise which they now do, other timing mechanism taking place at about this time. All needle, web holder and timing movements being finished by the time the discs have moved so that line (a) is in line with the operating end of the jacks 24. The traverse stroke or that portion of the eriod of knit- /ting in one direction takes p ace while the drum is travelling by the jacks in the space marked (A). The needle draw-down, pressing and partial web holder withdrawal taking place while the discs are opposite the jacks 24 in space marked (B). The web holder complete withdrawal, needle stepping, needle selecting, web holder coming in, needle rising and all other element functions and pattern timing taking place while the discs are opposite the jacks 24 in the space marked (C). The "reverse traverse of the sinkers taking place while the discs are opposite the jacks 24 in the space marked (D) as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the same element and timing movement taking place at the other end of the traverse.

While the present invention is shown and ing stroke to certain of the sinkers described in combination with a particular type of flat knitting machine, it is not intended that its use should be limited thereto,

1. In a knitting machine having a series of collectively operated needles, the combination with the needles, of a series of yarn feed.- ing sinkers, and a laterally fixed drum rotating in one direction only, the cams mounted thereon having a direct cam action to operate the sinkers successively during the knitting of each course of a number of successive courses.

2. In a knitting machine having a series of needles, the combination with the needles, of a series of cooperating knitting elements, and a laterally fixed drum rotating in one direc tion only, provided with two series of cams having a direct cam action alternately during the knitting of successive courses to 0p erate the cooperating knitting elements successively during the knitting of each course.

3. In a knitting machine having a'series ofneedles,the combination with the needles, of a series of yarn feeding sinkers, a laterally fixed drum rotatingin one direction only, provided with cams having a direct =cam action to operate the sinkers successively during the knitting of each course of a number of successive courses, and connections between' the cams and the sinkers adjustable to vary the yarn feeding stroke of the sinkers.

4. In a knitting machine havin a series of collectively operated needles, t e combination with the needles, of a series of yarn feeding sinkers, and means for positively operating the sinkers successively during the knitting of each course, said means having provision for imparting a greater yarn feedthan to the remainder. a

5. In a knitting machine having a series of collectively operated needles, the combination with the needles, of a series of yarn feeding sinkers, means for positively operating the sinkers successively during the knitting of eachcourse, and adjusting means whereby a yarn feeding stroke may be imparted to a group of sinkers different fromthat imparted to the remaining sinkers.

6. In a knitting machine-having a series of collectively operated needles, the combination with the needles, of a series of yarn feeding sinkers, means for positively operating the sinkers successively during the knit-.

ting of each course, and adjustin means whereby the yarn feeding stroke 0 all the sinkers may be varied uniformly and whereby a yarn feeding stroke may beimparted to a group of sinkers difierent from that imparted to the remaining sinkers.

7. In a knitting machine having a series of needles, knitting elements cooperating therewith comprising a series of yarn feeding sinkers, means or positively operating the sinkers including sinker operating jacks, and means for adjusting the jacks to vary the yarn feeding stroke imparted to the sinkers.

8. In a knitting machine having a series of needles, knitting elements cooperating therewith comprising a series of yarn feeding sinkers, means for positively operating each sinker including a sinker actuating cam,

' a jack interposed between the cam and the sinker and means for 'moving the jack to vary the yarn feeding stroke imparted to the sinker.

9. In a knittingmachine having a series of collectively operated needles, the combination with the needles, of a series of yarn feeding sinkers, a cam drum provided with cams arranged to operate the sinkers successively duringthe knitting of a course, a series of jacks interposed between the cams and the sinkers, a movable carrier for each jack, and a support for the jack carriers, adjustable to change the position of the jacks to vary the yarn feeding stroke imparted to the sinkers.

10. In a knitting machine having a series of collectively operated needles, the combination with the needles of a series of yarn feeding 1 riers for the jacks, and supports for the jack carriers adjustable to change the positions of groups of jacks to different extents and thus vary in difi'erent amounts the yarn feeding strokes imparted to the sinkers througnthe several groups of jacks.

11. In a knitting machine having a series of needles, the combination with the needles,

of a series of cooperating knitting elements,"

and a laterally fixed drum rotatable in one direction only provided with, cams having a direct cam action to operate the sinkers suc-" cessively during the knitting of each course, said drum comprising a series of cam discs and a series of slightly larger separator discs alternating with the camdiscs.

12. In a knitting machine having a series of collectively operated needles, theicombination with the needles, of a series of yarn feeding sinkers, a cam drum rotatable in one direction only provided with cams arranged knitting ofeach course, said cam drum comprising a series of'camdiscs' and a senes of to operate the sinkers successively during the 3 Lseope slightly larger separator discs alternating with the cam discs, and jacks interposed between the sinkers and the cam discs engaging the slots formed by the separator discs.

13. In a knittin machine having a series of needles, the com ination with the needles, of knitting elements comprising a series of web holders, certain of which are provided with short butts and certain of which are provided with long butts, and means cooperating with the long and short butts to move all of the web holders collectively in unison and having provision for moving the long butt web holders only. a

14. In a knitting machine having a series of needles, the combination with the needles, of knitting elements comprising a series of web holders, certain of which are provided with short butts and certain of which are provided with long butts, a bar cooperating with both the long and short butts to move all of the web holders collectively in unison, and means for moving the bar into a position to engage the long butt web holders only.

15. A knitting machine having, in combination, a series of needles, knitting elements cooperating therewith comprising a series of yarn feeding sinkers, actuating cams for the slnkers, jacks positively actuated by the cams to impart a yarn feeding stroke to the sinkers to sink yarn about the needle shanks, and means for varying the effective movement of the jacks to vary the yarn feeding stroke of the sinkers.

16. knitting machine having, in combination, a series of needles, knitting elements cooperating therewith comprising a series of yarn feeding sinkers, actuating cams for the sinkers, jacks actuated by the cams to impart a yarn feeding stroke to the sinkers to sink yarn about the needle shanks and means for varying the positions of the acks with relation to the sinkers to vary the effective yarn feeding stroke imparted by the cams to the slnkers.

17. A knitting machine having, in combination, a series of needles, knitting elements cooperating therewith comprising a series of yarn feedin sinkers, actuating cams for the sinkers, jacks interposed between the cams and the sinkers, and means for varying the position of the jacks with relation to the sinkers to var the effective yarn feeding stroke imparte by the cams to the sinkers.

18. In a knitting machine having a series of needles, the combination with the needles of knitting elements including a series of collectively operated web holders, certain of which are provided with long butts and certain of which are provided with short butts, and means cooperating with the long and short butts to advance and retract all the web holders collectively in unison and having provision for advancing the long butt web holders only,

19. In a knitting machine having a series of needles, the combination with the needles of a series of yarn feeding sinkers, and a laterally fixed drum rotating in one-direction only comprising a series of cams in constant alignment with and having a direct cam action to operate the sinkers;

20. In a knitting machine having a series of needles, the combination with the needles of a series of yarn feeding sinkers, a cam drum rotating in one direction only comprising a series of cams in constant alignment with the sinkers, and having a direct cam action to operate the sinkers successively during the knitting of each course of a number of successive courses, and connections between the cams and the sinkers, adjustable to vary the yarn feeding stroke of the sinkers.

21. In a knitting machine having a series of needles, knitting elements cooperating therewith comprisng a series of yarn feeding sinkers, a support slotted to receive the sinkers, means for operating the sinkers including sinker operating jacks mounted to move in the sinker slots and to move into and out of operating position, and means for moving certain of the jacks to inoperative position to cause the sinkers associated therewith to remain inoperative during the knitting of a course.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

MAX C. MILLER. 

